


maybe you'll be my home

by RENielsen



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Enjoy!, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Nouis, Pining, but it's cute so whatever, honestly, this is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 03:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10608774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RENielsen/pseuds/RENielsen
Summary: Louis is a little bit in love with Niall. Who can blame him, though, when Niall is basically the sun lighting up his day?or what's supposed to be a cute college au, that ended up worse than I imagined.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo... this is basically just fluff the whole way through, because I felt like it and needed something cute and sweet in my life. This is basically written on my phone one boring afternoon lmao. It kinda sucks, and is apparently everything I can get myself to write lately, but whatever. Thought I'd share anyway. I hope you'll enjoy reading my failured attempt of writing a cute college au :)

Louis thinks it might be Niall's obsession with space that draws him to the blond in the first place. Now Louis isn't a nerd in any way. Can't even claim to be above average when it comes to intelligence. Still there's just something about the way Niall light up like a Christmas tree every time he gets encouraged to talk about his interests. Space being the go to topic every time.

It's cute really, how he can talk for hours on end without stopping to breathe. Not because Louis has ever been able to be the cause of this, but sometimes he can’t help but linger in the common room of the dorm he’s living in, a little bit longer than usual so he’s able to sit in a corner and listen to Niall talk his friends’ ears off.

Louis might have the biggest crush on the small blond, and he's not quite sure what to do about it. Niall's... Niall's complicated. In a way at least. Or maybe Louis just isn't complicated enough. It's just that Niall is so smart, and he's got so many interests, and he's not to get alone, because everyone seems to be just as in love with him as Louis is. Louis in the other hand... well Louis is quite boring compared to the younger lad. Quite average to say the least.

With other words then Louis really hasn't got a chance.

Liam tells him he's an idiot, and Harry just rolls his eyes every time he sees Louis make eyes at the blond.

"You know, you could just talk to him," Liam says, slowly and with a frown like he still isn't sure Louis actually gets the concept. Liam isn't the smartest person in the world, a bit slow too, but he means well, so Louis just pats him on the head patiently.

They’re sitting at the cafeteria on campus. Usually none of them is all that interested in the food there, but Louis had seen Niall walk inside as the three of them were on the way past it, and maybe he somehow convinced the others to settle for the food in there so he’s be able to send eyes at the blond for good half an hour before his next lecture.

"It's not about that. I know I can talk to him," Louis insists, making an eye roll. He finally looks away from where his eyes have been locked to the table with the Irish lad. "It's more about fucking him up ya know. He's like a flower. Looks like he could be crushed with just a single step taken wrong. And he's so naive. Trusts too easily. We just... we wouldn't fit."

Harry snorts out, nose buried in his phone. Louis didn't think the curly haired lad was even paying attention to the conversation, though he probably should have known. Harry's good at that; pretending not to listen and then turn out to have heard it all.

"Care to tell me what's so funny?"

"It's nothing. You're probably just the first person to ever call Niall a breakable flower." Harry shakes his head in disbelief.

"Have you looked at him?!" Louis defends. "He's, like, so small and looks all soft.”

Liam can't hold back the laugh, though he does try to hide it with his hands. Harry on the other hand just rolls his eyes once again. "You're just so deep under, and too afraid to admit it, that you'll use everything as an excuse to stay away. Besides he isn't even that small. At least not any smaller than yourself."

"Leave me alone." He knows he's pouting, but he can't even bother to do anything about it. Both of them has been all over him ever since he showed just the smallest bit of interest in the blond, and they just don't want to leave him alone now.

Harry has known Niall in forever. They aren't like close, at least not from how Louis has understood it, but they hang every once in a while, and Harry apparently finds it sooo funny to watch him get all flustered every time he sees Niall. It's not. Never has been.

Louis doesn't like fancying anyone. It's just a lot of trouble he doesn't need in his life. Especially since Louis seems to have a hard time even opening his mouth with the lad around.

It's just that Louis has seen one too many relationships get broken, and he's seen the effects from it afterwards, with one person ending up with a shattered heart. Louis doesn't want that, not for himself, nor for Niall, and he isn't foolish enough to think that he of all people would be able to go through with it. So no, Louis isn't one bit for relationships. Only casually fucks around every once in a while when he finds someone he finds mildly interesting. He just doesn't want that with Niall, is the thing.

"Still think you should give it a chance," Liam mutters, trying to be encouraging.

Louis doesn't answer, just sends him a small smile, before taking the last bite of his lunch. He bits them goodbye, and walks to his lecture before he ends up being late. That happens all too often, he knows that. Sometimes Louis can’t help but think he’s just not meant for college. Maybe there’s no big and bright future in hold for him. The thought doesn’t even bother him much. It’s something he’s been thinking so many times already. The only thing that actually bother him about it, is that it’s just yet another reason that Louis will never end up with someone like Niall, because Louis has got no doubt that the younger boy is going to change the world. 

He’s got English lit. in this class. He’s not even sure why. Though, to be fair then he’s not really sure why he’s chosen any of the courses he has.

English lit. is also the only class Louis has got with Niall. It might be that Louis has no idea what he’s doing with the class himself, but he’s even more unsure about what the heck Niall is going to do with it. From what Harry tells, then Niall is halfway studying music and halfway trying to become some sort of engineer. It’s a bit confusing, but either way then Louis really doesn’t know what the lad needs English literature for. It seems almost like Niall just enjoys learning; and that everything apparently.

Usually when Louis gets there, everything is almost filled up, with only a couple of seats left. Now, for once, he’s actually one of the first there. He settles down in a seat in the back, not really all that interested in being down in the front where the teacher has an easier time pointing him out.

For a while he just watches as the room slowly fills up, but it quickly bores him, so he closes his eyes in a try to relax. It can’t be long before the class starts, though Louis still hasn’t heard the familiar voice, that always seems to cut right through the noise the rest of the students make.

“Hello,” someone puffs in his ear. It sound like they’ve been running to get there on time. “Is this seat taken?”

Louis eyes open in the split of a second, shocked to say the least. Niall sends him a grin, his cheeks cutely blushed and his hair standing messily on his head like he’s run his fingers through it a couple of times without noticing. He’s beautiful. And of course, Louis is tongue-tied. Nothing new there really. He ends up just shaking his head, even though every single piece of him is screaming that he needs to make Niall leave before he does something stupid.

Niall lights up in a big smile, before throwing his backpack on the ground by their feet, and takes a seat right next to Louis. Now Louis could very easily be imagining things, but Niall seems to be leaning his whole body _way_ closer to Louis than he needs to. Especially because there’s no one on the other side of the blond.

“You’re friends with Haz, right? Think I’ve seen the two of you hanging around together with that other dude, errr… Liam.” His eyes seems so big all of a sudden, just looking at Louis with a small smile on his lips, like he’s the sun on a cold morning. Louis is so endeared by the sight. “’m Niall by the way. In case Haz never mentioned me. It wouldn’t surprise me. Actually I’d be more surprised if he had. He’s a bit weird sometimes. All in a good way, though I guess you’d know all about that.” He laughs, head falling back as he does so with his whole body. He then holds his hand out for Louis to take, like he suddenly remembers his manners.

He’s like a confused puppy, just looking for a bit of love, Louis can’t help but notice.

In return Louis chokes out his name, and takes Niall’s hand in his own with shaky fingers. Niall doesn’t seem to notice, and is too busy telling some story of one time Harry had invited him with to some birthday party once, without telling anyone who he was, and it had been so awkward, though it had gotten better as time went past.

To be honest then Louis is only half way listening to his words, as his mind is too preoccupied with amazement about holding Niall’s hand. Maybe he should have let go, but Niall doesn’t seem to mind, and still hasn’t pulled his hand back, so Louis keeps being the complete idiot he is and just holds it.

His fingers are a bit cold, Louis notices. Not quite what he had imagined. His hand is bigger than Louis’ too, and with obvious calluses at the fingertips. Louis tries to figure out what exactly could have caused that, but comes up with a blank mind. Maybe he’ll ask Harry. Harry always seems to know all sorts of weird things. Though he probably won’t ask about this, for the pure reason that Harry would demand to know where Louis had gotten such information from. There’s no way he’s going to admit to this ever happening. He’d never hear the end of it if he does.

He notices when Niall becomes quiet, and just watches him expectantly. Louis immediately becomes totally red in the head from embarrassment.

“I-I’m sorry? Zoned out for a bit,” he mutters.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I can be a bit much sometimes, people always tells me that. I just asked what you’re studying. I’m sorry. Please tell me if I need to shut up. I’ll try, I promise. O-or if I need to go sit somewhere else. I’ve been told I can be a bit distracting sometimes. I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable or anything. ‘s just that Haz has talked about you quite a lot, and you really sound cool, and I thought maybe we could be friends. It’s okay, i-if you don’t want that. I’ll leave you alone then,” Niall babbles nervously, and Louis’ heart breaks a little. He looks like he thinks Louis is going to reject him. He pulls a little in his hand, but Louis suddenly feels a bit more brave, and doesn’t let go.

“Stay here?” he asks, and sends Niall a smile.

“Okay,” Niall agrees, and settles down just as the professor comes into the room.

He’s quiet for the rest of the lesson, though Louis can sense that it takes quite a lot of him to stay silent. Louis had known Niall talks a lot. What he didn’t know was that it’s almost a problem for him to shut up and just relax. Not at one single point during the lecture, is Niall sitting still. He’s fidgeting, moving around constantly. It’s like he’s an endless energy source, and like he doesn’t know how to stop it from running through his body.

Niall didn’t lie when he said he’s quite distracting. Louis doesn’t think it’s his fault, as much as it’s Louis’ own. Louis has sat with more than enough obnoxious people to know how to close them out. He just can’t get himself to do that with Niall.

It’s almost a relief when the class ends, and Louis can leave. He literally got nothing from the lecture, doesn’t remember anything but the way Niall was tapping his pencil against his notebook in the same rhythm he was bouncing his feet, or the way he was chewing on his thumb unconsciously.

Though Louis wants to do nothing else than flee, then he can’t when Niall is still there. He doesn’t want to make the other boy think that he doesn’t want anything to do with him, because Louis does. Louis really, really _does._ So he stays there for a bit, waiting for Niall to pack his stuff together even though Louis knows that’ll mean he’s going to be late for his next lecture.

“Thank you. For being patient with me, I mean. I know I’m a lot to take in.” Niall sends him a small smile. It’s almost not there, but Louis still notices the way his voice shake just a little.

Louis shakes his head and says back, “You’re just fine, Niall Horan.”

Niall laughs, and waves a bit as he disappears out of the room. Louis follows a bit slower after, and is able to catch a glimpse of the blond run across campus to get to his next lecture.

He should probably hurry too, but he knows that there’s absolutely no way he’d to be able to concentrate anyway. Instead of going, he finds his way back to his dorm, and takes a nap before he has to take his shift at the coffee shop just around the corner.

¤¤¤

Through the next couple of weeks, Niall shows up more and more in Louis’ life. At first it’s just in the lectures, where Niall has taken it to himself to make sure he’ll always be able to sit beside Louis, that be by saving him a space or by convincing someone to move with his shiny smile.

After that he begins showing up at the coffee shop every time Louis has a shift. He acts all surprised the first time he gets there that one lazy evening where there wasn’t any other customers in there. The second time he flashes Louis a smile as he orders hot chocolate with marshmallows. He almost run out of the store that time, maybe because it’s full of people, and Louis really doesn’t have time to chat. It’s another quiet shift the third time, and Niall somehow ends up making himself comfortable with a cup of coffee behind the counter with Louis looking at him a bit dumbstruck.

The worst is probably that first time Niall ends up running after them to catch up when the three of them goes for lunch. As far as Louis knows then Niall always eats at the cafeteria, but he must have seen them walk past and decided that it’d be okay to join them. Which it is! Louis loves having him around. What he doesn’t enjoy is the very pointed gazes and sly grins he gets from Liam and Harry when Niall is basically draped over his shoulder at the pizza place they eat at. It gets even worse when Niall steals a piece of his pizza, and Louis can’t make himself tell the blond to fuck of and eat his own food.

Louis doesn’t have a hard time getting used to having Niall around, and he quickly becomes content listening to Niall’s voice in his ear, talking about god knows what every second they spend together.

One day Louis learns that the calluses on Niall’s fingers come from playing guitar, when Niall comes running a bit late to English lit. with a guitar case on his back and no books for the class. He falls down in the seat Louis saved for him when he got there, and whispers with a grin how his he got distracted and forgot time, and if maybe Louis wouldn’t mind sharing his book with him?

The whole class is spend trying to keep his breath under control while he wishes for Niall to both put some distance between them but also for the blond to come closer, so Louis can put his arms around him and just hold him till Niall’s body finally settles down.

He skips yet another class when he finally parts with Niall, head too full of images of letting his lips find Niall’s in a soft kiss, about holding his hand again like he did that first time they talked, though this time with more meaning. He thinks about cuddling close, skipping class in favour of napping together on Louis bed. He imagines Niall playing the guitar for him, soft melodies reaching his ears, each one of them just confirming how far gone Louis is for the boy.

Harry and Liam stop teasing him, maybe because even they can see how it’s almost mean to continue, when Niall is basically torturing him unknowingly. Louis hopes he’ll never stop.

Louis is working, and Niall is sitting on the floor, close to his feet with his computer in his lap and a cup of Louis’ favourite tea standing beside him. Louis should probably ask him to stop doing that, and instead sit by a table like a normal costumer, but a bit selfishly he can’t help but think that if he did that then Louis wouldn’t be able to bump his feet against Niall’s every once in a while, or steal a sip of his tea whenever Niall is too busy to stop him.

“Did you know that tears don’t fall in space,” Niall asks suddenly, when the last costumer in the line has gotten their order.

“Huh?” Louis says, not quite having heard what he said.

“If you cry in space, your tears won’t fall,” he elaborates, not once looking up from his computer or stops typing.

Louis can’t help the laugh from leaving him. “No, I didn’t know that. Why won’t they fall?”

Niall shrugs, but begins explaining a second later anyway. “Water floats around like little bubbles, unless it hits surface. It’s then cling to it until it gets dislodged.” He stops talking, and frowns at the computer. His fingers stops dancing over the keyboard for a second, just to begin typing again when an idea pops into his head.  Louis thinks he must have forgotten what they were talking about. It happens sometimes, he’s learned. “So like when you cry, the tears won’t fall down, and instead it’ll start forming bubbles underneath your eyes. The more you cry the bigger the bubbles will get. If you don’t do anything to stop it, you can end up drowning.”

“You’re one weird person,” Louis grins with a fond voice.

The blond rolls his eyes, and just ignores Louis. “Also if you were to have a car that could drive up into the air, then it’d take you less than an hour to drive to space with a reasonable speed. I wanna invent a car that can drive me to space.”

“So what you’re trying to tell me, is that if you ever invent a car that can fly, then I shouldn’t get sad while we visit space?” He’s just teasing, but Niall finally looks up from the computer to send him a pout. Which, which is like not fair at all. Niall shouldn’t be allowed to use pouting. It’s an unfair advantage, really.

“Yes, Louis, that was exactly what I was trying to tell you,” he says back, rolling his eyes, as the pout leaves his face.

Louis takes a look around the coffee shop, but no one seems to be in any need of help, so he kneels down on the floor right in front of Niall.

“I’m sorry. What were you trying to tell me then?”

“I don’t know. Nothing I guess,” the blond mutters, suddenly finding his fingers way too interesting as he picks at his nails instead of looking at Louis.

“It’s never nothing. There’s always something you want to get off your chest when you begin with the random facts. Was Harry teasing you again? I can tell him to fuck off, if you want me to.”

“Oh, shut up! I deal with Harry’s teasing better than you, anyway,” Niall groans, and… and okay fair enough, that’s true, Louis has to admit to that. It’s just because Niall is nicer than he is, and Harry reacts better to niceness over Louis’ rudeness whenever he gets too annoyed by his friends. He doesn’t say any of that, and instead just shrugs.

“What’s on your mind then?”

He never gets an answer, as a costumer clears their throat to get his attention. Louis sends Niall a last glance to let him know they’re not done with the conversation.

Unfortunately for him, everything is suddenly busy, and he doesn’t have much time to talk with Niall for the rest of his shift. Niall stays there with him till he’s done closing down the shop, so they can walk back to the dorms together. It’d be stupid not to, as they live in the same building. At least that’s what Louis tells himself, instead of letting himself think that it’s because Niall just wants to spend more time with him.

He closes down quickly, and locks up behind him.

“Did you know that one day on Venus is longer than a year there?” Niall says, taking a deep breath of the cold air outside the coffee shop.

“I didn’t,” Louis says, looking at him expectantly.

“It takes the planet 224.7 Earth days to complete an orbit around the sun, however it takes the planet 243 Earth days to rotate its own axis.”

The only answer Louis comes with is a hum. He just waits patiently for whatever Niall has got on his mind.

They walk together, slowly and without any hurry. It’s nice, Louis thinks. He really wanna take Niall’s hand in his own, to let his thumb run over the soft skin of his hand. He wanna be brave and just do it without a care, but he does care. Cares about fucking the whole thing up, cares about the risk of losing Niall. He’ll rather live his whole life as Niall’s friend, than to lose him because he couldn’t control himself.

Louis is carrying Niall’s backpack, had insisted to do so even though he knows Niall easily can carry it himself. When Niall had rolled his eyes and said no, Louis had stolen it out of his hands with a smirk. In the end Niall had just laughed and let him have his way. He doesn’t regret that now, when he hears Niall begin humming softly, a song Louis doesn’t recognise. He takes a couple of steps in front of Louis, then walks backwards, almost dancing to the rhythm of the humming, as he’s facing Louis the whole time.

He takes Louis’ hand, and spins him around a single time, before making both of them stop moving altogether.

“Sometimes when a day is close to ending, I can’t help but want to live on Venus, just so I’d have an excuse to see you more.”

And… oh.

Niall still hasn’t let go of his hand, and Louis never wants him to.

“Like now. I know the day is almost over, and that as soon as we get back, you’ll go to your dorm and I’ll be back alone. I don’t want to let you go,” he admits, voice just a tiny bit shaky.

His eyes are shining, Louis notices. Shining like stars instead of eyeballs. He’s got beautiful eyes. No, screw that. Niall’s beautiful. Every single aspect of him. “I think I’m in love with you,” Louis blurts out without even thinking.

Screw everything. Every little concern, every moment he has worried about stupid things. Louis is in love with him. He’s never been so in love with anyone as he is with Niall, and really, that’s all that matters.

“Thank fucking God,” Niall breathes out. He then pulls Louis closer, bumps his nose against Louis’ before letting their lips meet in a sweet kiss. There’s no demand in the kiss, just a tiny question for something more. Louis puts everything he’s got into that one kiss, because you know what? He loves the slightly weird lad in front of him. The one that talks to much, who’s never able to be still not even now, the lad who’s smarter than him, the one that everyone loves no matter how insecure he can be about it sometimes.

“Hello, Love,” Louis whispers when they pull apart once again to get their breaths. He holds Niall’s face in his hands, and gently let’s his fingers run over his cheeks. “I’ve got so many words for you, but I’ve honestly forgot them all.”

And Niall laughs. His eyes squint close, as he laughs with his whole body. Louis kisses him again, with a laugh of his own, just because he can.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading! Kudos and comments always appreciated! You can also find me on tumblr at [nialliesmiley](http://nialliesmiley.tumblr.com/post/159534659633/maybe-youll-be-my-home-niall-horanlouis), if you wanna!


End file.
